Deflector gate for car dumping



Sept. 5, 1933. A. SMITH Er AL DEFLECTOR GATE FOR CAR DUMPING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 13, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 WWMML:

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 w i awuzmtom A. L. SMITH ET AL Filed Jan. 15, 1952 DEFLEC'IOR GATE FOR CAR DUMPING APPARATUS Sept. 5, 1933.

FIG, 2

@MWM P A. L. SMITH ET AL 7 1,925,647

DEFLECTOR GATE FOR CAR DUMPING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 15, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 athovmmao Se t. 5, 1933. A. SMITH ET AL DEFLECTOR GATE FOR CAR DUMPING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 15, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Sept. 5, 1933 UNITED STATES DEFLECTOR GATE FOR CAR DUMPING APPARATUS Arthur L. Smith and Kenneth H. Smith, Ashtabula, Ohio Application January 13, 1932. Serial No. 586,270

20 Claims.

This invention relates to an attachment for apparatus adapted to tip a loaded car over side- Wise to dump the contents thereof. Such cardumping apparatus is in extensive use for the loading of coal into vessels,-the loaded car being run onto a cradle which is raised and tipped over to enable the coal to drop from the car onto an inclined chute leading to the vessel. Such apparatus enables the very rapid loading of the vessel, but causes a decided degradation of the coal, as the lumps are frequently fractured by their impact in falling from the overturned car to the chute.

It is the primary object of our invention to provide means for controlling the discharge from the dumped car in such mannerv as will greatly reduce the breakage of the lumps of coal in passing from the car to the chute. We accomplish this by providing a gate adapted to stand across the open top of the car as it is being dumped, and frictionally engage the discharge therefrom, so that the velocity is gradually retarded, instead of having the acceleration of gravity; thus the material passes downwardly in a steady stream and gradually flowing to the chute, instead of striking it with abrupt blows.

Another object of the invention is to so devise the gate that it may adapt itself to varying conditions in the car, allowing the ready passage of the largest lumps and at the same time efficiently retarding the smaller lumps to cause the even flow desired.

Still another object is to so support and carry the gate that it may be readily moved to idle F position, in case material is being dumped which it is not important to control.

Other features of the invention, contributing to its general efficiency and its adaptability to various car dumpers, will become apparent from the description hereinafter given of a preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawings.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a front elevation of one form of our gate in position on a car dumping apparatus; Fig. 2 is a sectional end elevation of an illustrative type of car dumper employing our gate, the plane of the section being indicated by the line 2-2 in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical section in a larger scale than Fig. 2 and in a plane parallel therewith, showing our gate in its relation to the dumped car and the receiving chute, the plane of this section being indicated by the line 33 on Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a detail illustrating the support for the gate and the anchorage for the gatecontrolling cable; Figs. 5 and 6 are diagrammatic end elevations illustrating our controlling gate in its active and idle positions, respectively, when the car has been completely dumped.

We will first describe the car dumping apparatus illustrated in Fig. 2, it being understood, however, that this particular form of car dumper is shown merely by way of illustration, as our invention is applicable to various types of cardumping apparatus. v

In Fig. 2, 10 indicates the front framework; (35 11, the rear framework, and 12 the top. framework of a suitable tower. Guided in this tower is a car-supporting cradle 20, adapted to be moved vertically and tipped about one edge. The cradle,- when in the normal position indicated by broken lines in Fig. 2, has a vertical portion 21 pivotally connected to a guiding shoe, indicated at 22, which is slidable along the front framework 10 of the tower. The cradle has a laterally projecting base portion 23, which carries a transversely movable carriage 24, having tracks to receive the car A.

Suitable elevating cables, not fully shown but partially indicated at 25, lead from the cradle upwardly across sheaves 26 at the tower top 12, and thence downwardly to a suitable winding mechanism 27. Such cables may raise the cradle with its loaded car until the guide. shoe 22 abuts a stop, after which the continued raising of the cradle tips it about the guide shoe as a pivot, into a position indicated in full lines in Fig. 2. As this tipping starts, the car moves against suitable bumpers 28 carried by the normally upright portion of the cradle.

The cradle is provided withsuitable clamps 30 pivoted toits normally upper end and adapted to fold over onto the top of the car. We have shown these clamps as controlled by chains 31 anchored to the cradle, passing along the clamp, and connected cable 32 leading upwardly to sheaves 33 in the tower top and downwardly to a counterweight 35 slidable on the back frame 11 of the tower. It results from this construction that, as the cradle is tipped, the car is effectively held against its rails.

The dumped material from the tipped car passes onto a chute 40 in the form of a converging pan, which is shown as mounted on a girder 41 commonly called the pan girder, which is supported by the front frame of the tower in a manner so that it may be adjusted up and down to enable the apron to stand at a suitable discharging angle for varying positions of the vessel into which the load is discharged.

Our controlling gate has a greater length than 110 the car body and a greater height (when the gate is vertical) than the width of the car body. Accordingly, when the car is first tipped over on its side, its entire open top is opposed by the gate which normally stands nearly vertical and close to such tipped car.

The gate is preferably installed in such manner that when in use, it stands with its lower end supported by the pan girder 41, and has its upper portion guided andsupported by suitable cables, so that the gate frame may be tipped with the car. The gate comprises a frame carrying individual blades supported by a transverse portion of the frame and depending vertically therefrom,these individual blades swinging away from the car varying amounts, as the conditions of the load require, and as will be more fully explained.

As shown, our gate is composed of a pair of end posts normally standing nearly vertically and resting at their lower ends on stationary saddles 51 supported by the pan-girder 41. The saddles are shown as located in the pan itself adjacent its idle upper corners,--see Fig. 1. Pivotally connected to these end posts is the cross beam 52 of the gate, which is a girder of con siderable size extending from one end post to the other. We have shown the pivotal connection as made by shafts 54 rigidly mounted in blocks 55 carried by thegirder and journalled in the end posts, suitable pins 56 passing through the shafts beyond the posts. The girder 52 of our gate carries, parallel with its lower edge, along shaft 60, which is suitably supported from the girder in various regions as by straps 61 depending from the girder. Upon this shaft are'pivotally mounted the blades 62 forming the body of the gate. These blades are heavy fiat bars preferably formed at their upper ends into hooks 63 embracing the shaft 60. The blades depend by gravity in front of the car but may individually swing at their lower ends as required.

Carried by each end post 50 near'its lower end is a pair of cooperating guide sheaves 70, and a similar pair 71 is located near the upper end. These sheaves form guides for cables '72, wh ch are anchored at their lower ends to the pan girder; for instance, this cable may embrace a crossbar 74 carried by the saddle 51, as shown in Fig. 4. From its anchorage, the cable passes upwardly between the pairs of guide sheaves '70 and '71 and in contact with the periphery of a sheave 75, and thence upwardly across .sheavesindicatedat '7 6 and '77 in the tower top and downwardly to a suitable counterweight 78, slidable on the back frame 11 of the tower. The counterweight '78 tends to keep the end posts 50 of the gate vertical, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3;-but when the car tips more than ninety degrees, so that its top is beyond the vertical, the car clamps engage the gate girder and swing the gate posts into an inclined position about their pivoted lower end, as shown in Fig. 5, according to the angle of the top of the car. In

any case, the individual blades 62 depend sub- 7 stantially vertically from their supporting shaft on the gate girder 52.

With our gate constructed and located as described, the cradle is raised and the car dumped in the usual manner. As the coal, or other material begins to pass from the car, it engages the vertical blades 62, it slides downwardly along the faces of these bladesv and swings the engaged blades at their lower ends away from the car, allowing the coal to drop gradually onto the chute. The amount of swing of the individual blades varies with the size of the lumps, some blades swinging more than others. Now, as the car continues its dumping movement, its top passing beyond the vertical plane, the end members of the gate gradually swing into the inclined position as illus rated in Fig. 5 and the depending blades move farther away from the car.

Fig. 5 illustrates the final position of the dumped car, and by the time this position has been reached substantially the entire load has been discharged. During such discharge, the blades have been especially effective in holding back'the top portion of the load, where most of the degradation occurs. Thus, there is no sudden dropping of large lumps from the elevated side of the car directly down onto the chute which ,in the past, has been found very destructive to the load.

Our retarding gate does not interfere with the speed of operation, as the cradle is tipped at regular speed; but it does cause a controlled flow of the contents and very materially reduces the destructive fracture thereof, and also reduces the wear on the chute, which has heretofore resulted from the large lumps falling onto it from a con siderable height.

The anchorage of the gate-supporting cables to the pan girder, while for the purpose of flexibly supporting the gate, has the incidental advantage-by reason of the counterweight '78-of taking some of the load off the mechanism which adjustably supports the pan girder and, accordingly, it is easier for the jack'screws or other mechanism to raise the'pan girder than formerly. This is of value, particularly when it is'desired to raise the pan while it contains material.

In loading fine coal, or various materials where degradation is not experienced, it may be desired to dispense temporarily with the action of the gate; and to enable this to be done, we provide mechanism operated to raise the gate to an idle position above the dumping region of the car. This mechanism may be varied to suit the particular car dumping tower on which it is installed; the form shown will now be described.

Suitably secured to the gate girder 52 are one or more cables which extend over suitable winding drums carried at the top of the tower ,the rotation of which may wind in the cables and draw up the entire gate with its end members, the vertical counterweighted cables '72 as guides.

There is shown in Fig. l a single central cable 80 connected to a cross bar 81, which is connected by depending members 82 to the girder 52. The cable 80 is shown as winding on a drum 84 which is driven through reduction gearing 85 by a suitable motor 86. A solenoid brake 87, acting on the armature shaft, may look the motor and thereby maintain the gate elevated whenever the current is turned off; or, if desired, the reduction.

gearing may employ a worm or other self -locking In any case, the operation of the -motor serves to raise the gate to idle position,

mechanism.

where it is locked until its use is desired.

In the form herein shown, the cable 80 is secured at one end to the upper frame members 12 I of the tower and passes downwardly to a sheave i block 90, and thence upwardly to a sheave block 91 carried by the frame member 12. As shown, each sheave block 90 and 91 carries a plurality of sheaves, the block 90 having one more than the block 91.

to the winding drum 84 heretofore described. The lower sheave block 90 carries a hook 95 which The'last pass of the cable over these M sheaves stretches from the lower block 90 directly mally the lower block hangs free adjacent the upper frame member 12. However, when the operator desires to raise the gate, he secures the hook 95 to the pin and reeves in the cable 80.

It will be seen that our controlling gate, while or the necessary weight and strength for the installation intended, is comparatively simple in construction and may be readily installed-cnex isting'car dumping apparatus. When in use, its operation does not, in any manner, interfere with the normal action of the apparatus, nor throw any extra work on either the cradle operator or the chute operator; and whenever the character of the load renders the use of the gate inexpedient, it may be quickly moved to idle position.

While we have illustrated an approved embodiment of our gate, it is to be understood that we do not intend to limit ourselves to the particular construction shown, as various modifications may be made within the spirit of our invention.

We claim:

1. The combination with a car dumping apparatus of a gate adapted to extend across the path of discharge of the car, said gate having a series of individual movable members suspended to swing freely in the path of discharge and adapted to be engaged by the load.

2. A device for controlling thedischarg'e from. a car beingdumped, comprising a pair of end posts pivotally mounted at their lowerends and movably. supported at their upper ends, a girder connected to the upper portions of the posts, and a series of individual movable bars depending from the girder.

3. A device for controlling a discharge of a car being dumped, comprising a pair of end posts, a girder pivoted thereto, a shaft carried by the girder and extending lengthwise thereof, and a series of individual bars extending about the shaft and depending freely therefrom.

4. A device for regulating the discharge from a dumped car, comprising a pair of end posts, cables guided along said posts, the lower ends of the cables being anchored, for holding the upper portions of the cables in variable positions, and a gate pivoted adjacent its top to said end posts.

5. In a car dumping apparatus, the combina tion of a tower, a pan girder carried therewith, a discharge chute supported by the pan girder, a cradle for supporting a car, mechanism for operating the cradle to tip the car sidewise to dump the contents into the chute, and a device to regulate the discharge comprising a pair of rigid end posts pivotally mounted on the pan girder, cables controlling the upper ends of the posts whereby they may stand at various angles, and a gate pivotally carried by the posts and extending be tween them across the top of the dumped car and adapted to engage the material dumped.

6. A device for controlling the discharge of acar dumped sidewise, comprising a pair of end posts and a girder connected to the posts near their upper ends, a series or" individual bars located side by side and depending freely from the girder, stationary saddles for supporting the lower ends of the posts, cables slidably guided along the posts and anchored adjacent the saddles, said cables extending upwardly over suitable sheaves and controlling means attached to the cables.

'7. The combination with a car dumping apparatus having a discharge chute and means for tipping a car to dump the contents into the chute, a gate adapted to stand in front of the top upper ends, [stationary saddles for supporting the lowerv ends of the posts, cables slidably guided along the posts and anchored adjacent the saddles, and means for elevating the gate and posts, the latter moving along said cables as guides.

9. The combination with the tower of a car dumping apparatus, a cradle mounted therein and adapted to support an open topped loaded car, means for raising the cradle and tipping it to dump the contents of the car, a pan girder carried by the tower, a chute carried by the girder and adapted to receive the contents of the car, a pair of posts beyond the ends of the car pivotally mounted at their lower ends on the pan girder, cables anchored at their lower ends to the girder, said. cables extending upwardly along the posts to the upperportion of the tower and passing laterally on sheaves thereon and then downwardly and provided with counterwcights on such downwardly extending portions, a girder extending between the posts and connected thereto, and a series of independently movable bars carried by the last named girder and depending by gravity'therefrom.

10. The combination with a car dumping apparatus of a beam adapted to extend the entire length of a car, a series of individual members pivotally connected to the beam and depending freely therefrom, said members being adapted to extend across the width of a car, and means to hold said beam adjacent the upper edge of a car during the dumping of the car.

11. The combination with a tower of a car dumping apparatus, of means movable in the tower for dumping a car, a chute to receive the discharged contents of the car, a gate extending across the open top of the dumped car and having its lower end mounted adjacent the chute, and cables for controlling the, position of the upper end of the gate, said gate being moved outwardly by contact of the top of the car with the upper edge of the gate during the dumping of the car.

12. The combination with a car dumping apto retard the flow oi the material as it is being discharged.

13. The combination with a car dumping apparatus having an elevating cradle and a dis charge chute, and mechanism whereby the cradle may raise the car and tip it over sidewise, of a gate so supported independently of the cradle that it has a gravitational tendency to descend and extending substantially the full length of the car body and adapted to stand in front of the open top the car is dumped and engage the material v in its descent from the car to the chute.

14. The combination with a car dumping apparatus, of a movable gate adapted to stand in front of the car as it is being dumped and bear against the load as it is passing from the car to regulate the discharge, rigid posts pivotally supported at their lower ends, and said gate being pivotally supported on the upper portions of said posts.

;15. The combination with a car dumping apparatus, of a gate adapted to stand opposite the open top of a car after it has been tipped onto its side, .said gate being supported near'its'top on a pivot constrained to move in a circular are about a center adjacent the lower corner of the dumped car and having depending portion swinging free- 1y from said pivot at all times.

16. The combination, in a car dumper apparatus, of a cradle for supporting the car, means for moving the cradle to tip the car sidewise, a movable gate adapted to stand in front of the dumped car, pivots for the gateadjacent its upper end, and struts for supporting said pivots independently of the cradle.

17. The combination, in a car dumper apparatus, of means for tipping the car sidewise, a movable gate adapted to stand in front of the dumped car, pivots for the gate adjacent its upper end, and mechanism including pivotally mounted supporting posts, depending cables acting on the posts and counterweights acting on the cables for supporting said gate pivots in a manner to enable them to swing laterally and downwardly as the car is dumped.

18. The combination of a car dumping apparatus having a cradle and a discharge chute, mechanism whereby the cradle may tip a car thereon sidewise, pivotally mounted rigid end posts independent of the cradle, and a gate supported on the end posts and extending lengthwise of the car top as it is tipped over and movingwith it during such action, said gate having a lower portion adapted to move away from the car as the car is discharged.

19. In a car dumping apparatus, the combination, with a frame and a discharge chute, of a cradle mounted in the frame and adapted to turn a car thereon sidewise to dump the contentsinto the chute, a gate extending across the open top of the dumped car, -means for supporting the gate and limiting its movement so that the upper end thereof is constrained to movein a circular arc about a center adjacent the upper end of the chute, while the lower end of the gate moves farther away from the car top as the tipping beyond the vertical increases.

20. In a car dumping apparatus, the combination, with a tower and a discharge chute, of a cradle mounted in the tower, means adapted to raise the cradle and turn it to dump the conents of a car on the cradle intothe chute, a gate extending across the open top of the dumped car, a cable and counterweight adapted to hold the gate against car top without bodily raising the gate while the lower end of the gate is free to swing further away from the car top as the tipping beyond the vertical increases.

ARTHUR L. SMITH. KENNETH H. SMITH. 

